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Cyril Maza Plays Bayan Ko in Mandolin

August 29th, 2020

Cyril Maza Plays Bayan Ko in Mandolin

In the attached video, Cyril plays "Bayan Ko" or "My Country". It is a song sung by Freddie Aguilar.

Below is the lyrics of this song:

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag
At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa
Ibon mang may layang lumipad
Kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal-dilag
Ang 'di magnasang makaalpas
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha at dalita
Aking adhika
Makita kang sakdal laya
Ibon mang may layang…

A melodic translation of this song goes like this:

Philippines, my country, my homeland,
Gold and flowers in her heart abound,
Blessings on her fate did love bestow,
Sweet beauty's grace and splendor's glow.
How her charms so kind and tender
Drove the stranger to desire her;
Land of mine, in fetters kept,
You suffered as we wept.

Birds that freely claim the skies to fly
When imprisoned mourn, protest and cry!
How more deeply will a land most fair,
Yearn to break the chains of sad despair?
Philippines, my life's sole burning fire,
Cradle of my tears, my misery;
All that I desire:
To see you rise, forever free!

Cyril Maza Video Playing Mandolin

August 29th, 2020

Cyril Maza Video Playing Mandolin

Cyril learned to play bandolin and banduria when he was in grade school in the Philippines.

The Philippine banduria is a 14-stringed musical instrument. The Philippine bandolin, on the other hand, is similar to mandolin but is thicker and is tuned and played differently. Cyril modified the tuning of his mandolin so he can play it the way he played the Philippine bandolin.

Watch him play "Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal" (Celeste Legaspi) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt1vqX_OQQA

Watch him play "El Bimbo" (Bmbo Jet) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8GkVWVGPAk

Watch him play "play “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan†(Lea Salonga) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJhi-LbXKYM

Watch him play "Bayan Ko" (Freddie Aguilar) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETZ9dvN6LU

Billboard Contest Entries

July 16th, 2019

I just joined the Billboard Contest in FineArtAmerica, and I need at least 250 votes to pass the first elimination round.

Five lucky winners will have their artwork featured on billboards throughout Los Angeles!
Each billboard will be at least 24 feet wide by 12 feet tall and will prominently feature the winning image, the title of the image, and the artist’s name or his/her preferred social media handle.

The billboards will be positioned around Los Angeles and Santa Monica and will remain visible for at least two months, each, throughout the fall and winter of 2019.

Here are the links to my entries:

1.) A Moment with Dad.
https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=6408980

2.) Come Take a Dip.
https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=25861592

2.) Dipping.
https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=25861688

Please vote for my art works! :)

I submitted three entries. You may vote up to 25 images, but only once per image. Voting ends on July 31, 2019.

Thank you so much.

Cyril Maza

Houston Public Media Covers Artists On Board Exhibit

June 3rd, 2016

We're in the news!

Amy Bishop of Houston Public Media just recently released a news article covering Art DeckCo's Artist on Board Skateboard Art Exhibit in Galerie Spectra.

She went to Galerie Spectra last Friday, 27th of May 2016, to interview a number of artists who are participating in the current ArtDeckCo Exhibit.  My wife and I were among those who were interviewed.  She also interviewed Katherine Sloan, who is one of the founders of ArtDeckCo.

Read more.

ArtDeckCo Skateboard Art Display at Galerie Spectra

June 3rd, 2016


ArtDeckCo Skateboard Company is currently displaying over one hundred and fifty skateboard arts in the back rooms of Galerie Spectra.  Featured are skateboard arts by local Houston artists, as well as, other artists from all over the United States.  



The event,  dubbed "Artists on Board", started yesterday, 13th of May, with an artists' reception from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Refreshments, which included coffee by Mug Life, were served.  The reception was free and open to the public.  Harp music was also provided by Virtuosi and by DJ Entertainment.



Participating Houston local artists include Rona Lesser, David Mortensen, George Daniels, Sharon Worley, Nan Toole, Jim Padgett, Robbie Peters, Chris Rogers, Darlene Abdouch, Charles Wallis, Yvonne Ybarra, Beatriz Clarke, Cyril Maza, Lorna Maza, Michael Blome, Kim Erickson, Dennis Fehr, Mary Lusk, Jim Adams, D'Montserrat, and Suzanne Buckland. 



The show will end on the 9th of June, 2016.  





My own skateboard art "The Rooster"






Galerie Spectra




Harp Music Provided by Virtuosi in the Main Gallery




DJ Entertainment at the Back Rooms




Free Refreshments




Lorna's "Circles" Sits on the Table Among Other Beautiful Skateboard Arts




Lorna Painted Both Sides of Her Skateboard.  Shown Here Is the Other Side of Her "Circles" Skateboard.




My Very Own "The Rooster" Shown in the Lower Left Quadrant of this Photo




Kate Sloan, Co-owner of ArtDecko Skateboard Company




Beautiful Skateboard Arts...




More Skateboard Arts...




Meghna Patil Participated in This Event with Her Own Skateboard Art Entry




Still, More Skateboard Arts...

Galerie Spectra First Year Anniversary Celebration

May 16th, 2016

Galerie Spectra celebrated its first anniversary last Friday, 11 March 2016, with an artists reception from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
That night is also the start of their monthly exhibition, which runs through April 13.  The exhibition features the works of the following local artists, in alphabetical order:

Adam Donleavy
Barb Blu
Beatriz Clarke
Cyril Maza
Daniel Houston
Darlene Abdouch
David Vander Linden
Dennis Fehr
Jim Adams
Josepth Culotta
Kim Erickson
Lorena Fernandez
Lorna Maza
Lou Sprinter
Margaret Bailey
Mark Lusk
MaryAnn Lucas
Maureen Low
Michael Blome
Nan Toole
Norman Gabitzch
Stutz
Richard Eastman
Rona Lesser
Suzanne Buckland
Yvonne Ybarra
Zilla Adams
Zuki

It also includes special installations by Kelly Stewart and byArtist of the Month David Mortensen, at the back rooms of the gallery.  There is also a sale of small art works, displayed on grids and tables, priced at $100 each.
Entertainment during the celebration was provided by Virtuosi of Houston.
Galerie Spectra is located at 303 Memorial City Way, Set 822, Houston TX.  It is inside the Memorial City Mall, at the north entrance between Macy's and Dillar's.  It is open during mall hours.




An article from Houston Chronicle, dated 12-18 March 2015, tells about the story behind the opening of a new gallery inside the Memorial City Mall.




Lorna Maza and Vella Almazan taking selfies inside the gallery.





Cyril Maza posing by the works of a fellow Houston artist, Kelly Stewart, in one of the back rooms of Galerie Spectra





Two of Lorna Maza's paintings.





Members of the Galerie Spectra posing for some pictures.





Members of the Galerie Spectra posing for some pictures.





Virtuosi of Houston provided musical entertainment during the celebration.





Hallway towards the back rooms of Galerie Spectra.




Earth, Sky, and Space

May 16th, 2016


Lorna and I are glad to have participated in the "Earth, Sky and Space" Fine Art Exhibit, which was held last Sunday, 15 May 2016.  This event was held at the Johnson Space Center, Gilruth Center, Alamo Ballroom, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston TX 77058.



Lorna and I, combined, had a total of ten artworks on display at this event.



The event was participated in by a long list of Houston local artists, which include: Daniel Houston, Anna Jimenez, Cedric Akue, Jennifer Lang, Gordon Greenleaf, Ana Ramos, Rona Lesser, David Vander Linden, D'Montserrat, Vella Almazan, Alex Galloway, Lorna Maza, Cyril Maza, Zilla Adams, Zuki, Shirley Scarpetta, JP Harman, Tyler Kay, David Mortensen, Lisa Hardcorn, Dmitry Nevezhay, Jose Ramirez, Holly Denslow, Ted Shaw, Rodolfo Banuelos, Louis Monnich III, Beth LeBlanc, Kerry Ramirez, Jim Padgett, Darlene Abdouch, Bianca Postel, Madly Art & Design, Gabino Torres, Iris Forbes, and Ana Romo-Shaw.



The event was hosted by Spectra Artists, Inc., a Texas non-profit corporation based in Houston, Texas.  Spectra Artists run the Galerie Spectra located inside the Memorial City Mall, at 303 Memorial City Way, Unit #822, Houston TX 77024.  They also display art works at other venues.  They currently have an artwork display at Salon Sky, which is at 12651 Memorial Drive, Houston TX.



The "Earth, Sky and Space" event was chaired by Julio and Kerry Ramirez.











How I Started as an Artist

March 22nd, 2016


Painting is one of the things I have wanted to do since I was a little kid, but never really had the chance to do on a regular basis until I reached the age of 39.


When I was a kid, I liked to draw very much.  Drawing was one of my favorite hobbies.  I drew people, trees, mountains, buildings, airplanes, cars, and just about every other thing I saw around me. My special talent and artistic inclination had been noticed by people around me at my early age.  They had helped me earn excellent grades in my art subjects in school, as well as, enjoy the admiration of people around me.  I still remember how my classmates used to come to me, asking me to draw something for them.  I just wish I could have painted on canvas also, but I just never really had the chance to do it, perhaps due to lack of resources.  No one in my family had ever been in the fine art industry, and I had never been really exposed to paints and canvas panels until I reached the age of 39.

In 1981, my family and I went to Indonesia, where my father was working as a consultant agricultural engineer.  We stayed there for two years, one year in Lampung (in the island of Sumatra) and another year in Jakarta (in the island of Java).  My siblings and I studied in the Home Instruction Department of Calvert School, which is in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, during our first year.  The following year, we studied in Jakarta International School (JIS), where I took Fine Arts as an elective subject throughout the whole year.  There, I learned the basics of drawing, painting, batik making, pottery, calligraphy, candle making, linoleum printmaking, and other works of art.

My father, Renato B. Maza, also taught my siblings and I, how to draw perspectives.  He used to arrange empty card board boxes on our dining table and then ask us to draw two-point perspectives of them.  What he taught us has greatly influenced my works, from my school projects in high school and college to my later works as an engineer and as an artist.

We returned to Infanta, Quezon, in 1983, and I continued my secondary education in Mt. Carmel High School (MCHS).  Nic Mendigo, one of my teachers happened to be a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines (UP).  He taught us (my classmates and me) how to draw and to capture the effects of light and shadow in our drawings.  He even made us draw portraits of ourselves as one of our school projects.

I continued to draw and had drawn several portraits of myself.  I had drawn pictures of famous basketball players from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), with their faces left out and replaced by mine.  I used to place my drawings under the transparent plastic covers of my notebooks, which I carried and showed around in school.  

I had also joined an amateur drawing contest and had  won second prize during a youth assembly attended by delegates from various youth organizations and different schools around the town.  That contest was an on-the-spot drawing contest held in the MCHS auditorium and was among the many activities lined up for that day.  There were also singing, song-writing contest, and other activities conducted to promote camaraderie and friendship among students and the out-of-school youth during that day.

At some point during my childhood days, I had dreamt of becoming a great artist in the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other great artists that we read in history books.  However, just like many other Filipino artists that came before me, I had been advised not to pursue an artist career because, accordingly, there was no financial future in art.  That did not bother me, though, as I had many other options that time.  I was one of the top students in my class, and mathematics and physical sciences, besides arts (of course), were among my favorite subjects in school.

I graduated from high school with first honorable mention and a special leadership award.  I was the battalion commander of our school's Citizen Army Training - Women Auxiliary Service (CAT-WAS) cadets in my senior year.

I went to the University of the Philippines (UP) right after high school and studied civil engineering.  I got my bachelor's degree in 1992 and have passed the civil engineering board exam in 1993.  I started working and became very busy that I had no time left to indulge in art activities.  Work brought me to Saudi Arabia and eventually, to Houston, Texas in the United States.

My love for arts never left me, though.  One day, in 2008, I found myself in Walmart, staring at some art supplies displayed in the store.  Knowing I had a very busy schedule at work, working overtime most of the days, I reluctantly bought those things…  I got a small kit of painting materials for around twenty dollars.  That kit included a set of brushes, a set of paints, a palette, a pencil, a pencil sharpener, and a reference book on painting.  I also bought a set of canvas panels and a wooden easel that was worth another twenty dollars, or so.  Those materials sat in my apartment for several weeks, untouched.  I was just too busy working overtime everyday.  I even reported to the office during weekends.  Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months until that one lonely night, sitting alone in my apartment.  I picked up the pencil from that box, and without much thinking I started sketching on one of the canvas panels I bought.  It felt awkward at first, considering I had not drawn artistically, like I did when I was a kid, for so many years.  But, as I work on it, little by little, it became easier and easier.  My enthusiasm grew more and more as I realized my God-given talent has not left me, after all those years.  It has stayed there with me all along, just waiting to be tapped.  And so I worked and went to bed late, spending many hours painting, that night.  I went to bed few hours after midnight, realizing I still had to report to work (as an engineer) the following day.

That was how I made my very first painting on canvas ever (see the picture below).  It was a self-portrait.















I was very happy when I saw what I had done, so I decided to do some more paintings in the nights that followed.  I finished two more paintings within that week.  One is my wife's portrait (see picture below).  The other one is a portrait of a woman texting on her cellular phone.  I have given out that painting as a gift to one of my friends.









Well, yes, a painting is a good gift to give, especially if you painted it yourself.  Painting is also a good way of expressing yourself.  It is actually just another way of communicating. You can communicate to others what you think and feel about them, just as you can do in speaking and writing.  Sometimes, words and letters are not enough to describe and convey what we really want to say.  But, through visual arts, we can express a lot more things than what our lips could say.  Indeed,“a picture is worth a thousand words.”  

So, why not start expressing your love and appreciation to your friends and love ones by buying them gifts of my paintings?  Prints of my paintings are now available for sale through Fine Art America, which can be accessed by clicking on the icon below.



Sell Art Online
Click above to shop and buy a gift for your friends and love ones.

Artworks for a Cargo Forwarding Company

March 18th, 2016

Husband and wife Cyril Maza (CSMaza) and Lorna Maza (LLDM) completed two commissioned paintings that feature men delivering cargo boxes in remote areas in the Philippines.  The paintings were commissioned by Regent Forex, a cargo forwarding company with an office in Houston, Texas.



The paintings were both made using acrylic paints, on 24" X 20" canvas panels.  The titles of the paintings were chosen by the client, and are Forex1 and Forex2.



Forex1 shows a man sitting on the back of a carabao while signing a delivery receipt.  With him are two Forex agents, one in front of him and the other one behind him.  The agent in front of him is shown with right arm stretched out, reaching out for the signed document.  The other agent is shown holding the boxes that are placed on top of a bamboo sledge.  The sledge is towed by the carabao.  The background depicts a scene typical to farms in the Philippines, with trees, mountains, rice fields, and a nipa hut.



Forex 2 shows a Forex agent standing on the top of a small boat that is typical to rural villages in the Philippines.  With him are two boatmen who are trying to maneuver the boat as they start their journey to the other side of the river.  They are on their way to deliver the boxes.














Our Artworks Are Now Available in More Retail Locations in the US and Canada

March 18th, 2016

Fine Art America has recently announced a new partnership with Deck the Walls, The Great Frame Up, and the Framing and Art Centre!





If you live in the US or Canada, you probably recognize at least one of those business names.  They are all custom frame shops with hundreds of locations nationwide.





Deck the Walls and The Great Frame Up have hundreds of retail stores located in malls and shopping centers throughout the United States, and the Framing & Art Centre is the largest framing franchise in Canada.

Fine Art America has partnered with all three companies in order to power their e-commerce websites and in-store kiosks.  The partnership enables all three franchises to sell framed prints, canvas prints, greeting cards, throw pillows, and more from us (Cyril and Lorna Maza), as well as from other living artists and photographers who are members of FineArtAmerica.com.

Fine Art America has provided each franchise with a custom-branded website powered by Fine Art America's e-commerce technology:

http://shopdeckthewallsart.com/profiles/cyril-maza.html

http://shopthegreatframeupart.com/profiles/cyril-maza.html

http://framingartcentregallery.com/profiles/cyril-maza.html

The three franchises, combined, have more than one hundred and fifty retail locations throughout the United States and Canada.  Next time you visit any of their shops and don't like what you see on their walls, ask them if you could check their website.  You may find our art works in there.  Just search for my name (Cyril Maza).

When you purchase a product from the franchise's website, Fine Art America handles the logistics of printing, manufacturing, and fulfilling your order.  All orders come with a 30-day money back guarantee.



CSMaza Artworks on T-Shirts and Other Apparel

March 18th, 2016

We are now selling t-shirts and other apparel, with prints of our art works, on Pixels.com!

We have available t-shirts, sweatshirts, v-necks, tank tops, women's t-shirts, junior t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and more.

Pixels.com has revolutionized the way that artwork, home decor, and apparel are bought and sold around the world.  With a few simple clicks, buyers can browse and pick from our selection of art work images and instantly purchase print-on-demand products online.  Pixels.com fulfills each order on our behalf - taking care of the printing, framing, matting, packaging, shipping, and collecting payments from the buyers.  Each product is manufactured at Pixels.com production facility and delivered with a 30-day money-back guarantee.


Now Shipping iPhone and Galaxy Cases from UK and Australia

March 18th, 2016



http://pixels.com/products/gold-coins-cyril-maza-iphone6-case-cover.html


We are very pleased to announce that we have begun shipping iPhone and Galaxy cases with my art works from our new production facilities in the United Kingdom and Australia!


What does that mean?


It means that all orders for phone cases will ship to any address in the UK within one business day... and to any address in Europe and Australia within 2 - 5 business days!


It also means low shipping rates and no import taxes!


The UK and Australian centers will be fulfilling orders for all of our websites, including the following:











We are currently offering cases for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S4, S5, and S6, as well.


Each case is custom manufactured using your selected image, shipped from our production facility, and delivered to you with a 30-day money-back guarantee.


Spectra Artists 2015 Summer Art Contest

March 18th, 2016


My wife, Lorna, and I have joined this contest last summer, and were pleased and honored to have our entries ("Boy Riding a Carabao" and "Picnic in the Farm") make it to the top 50 finalists.






The top 50 pieces, as selected by the panel of judges, have been included in the ongoing exhibition at Galerie Spectra, located at 303 Memorial City Way, Suite 822, Houston TX 77024.  The exhibition will be from July 10 to July 29, 2015.  





The panel of judges were Salli Babbitt, Mitch Cohen, and Walter Wagner, all prominent artists in Houston, Texas.












We are looking forward to the next Summer Art Contest this year.

Boy Riding a Carabao

December 29th, 2014





A Caucasian boy named Isaiah, from Houston TX, went to the Philippines to spend a vacation with his family. It was his first visit to the Philippines and he was also meeting his relatives there for the first time. He had a wonderful time, playing with his cousins and meeting new friends.  One of his most memorable experiences was that of riding a carabao. It was also his first time to see and touch a live carabao. He really had a lot of fun back there.

This painting shows Isaiah riding a carabao.  It is an acrylic painting on an 18" X 24" canvas.  It was completed on December 21, 2014.

For those who have not seen or heard what a carabao is, a carabao is a swamp type domestic water buffalo found in the Philippines. It is considered the national animal of the Philippines.  Carabaos are used for farming and for pulling carts in rural villages in the Philippines. They are also a good source of meat, milk, and hide. Carabao hide was once used extensively to create a variety of products, which include the armor of pre-colonial Filipino warriors.   Also, according to Wikipedia, "the carabao is considered a symbol of Guam. In the early 1960s, carabao races were a popular sport in the island, especially during fiestas. Today, carabaos are a part of the popular culture. They are often brought to carnivals or other festivities, and are used as a popular ride for children."

Below is a series of photos I took while I was working on this painting.





No. 1




No. 2











No. 3




No. 4

Bayanihan

December 6th, 2014

I just finished another painting today.  It's called "Bayanihan."

"Bayanihan is a Filipino term taken from the word "bayan", referring to a nation, country, town, or community. The whole term "bayanihan" refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. 

The origin of the term "bayanihan" can be traced from a common tradition in Philippine towns where community members volunteer to help a family move to a new place by volunteering to transport the house to a specific location. The process involves literally carrying the house to its new location. This is done by putting bamboo poles forming a strong frame to lift the stilts from the ground and carrying the whole house with the men positioned at the ends of each pole. The tradition also features a small fiesta hosted by the family to express gratitude to the volunteers." - From Wikipedia.





Unfinished Painting

The painting is a 18" X 24" acrylic on canvas.  I started this painting last month (November 2014).  

The picture on the right shows how it looked like on day 1.  I worked on this painting little by little, sometimes in the evening and sometimes very early in the morning (just a few minutes before taking a bath and leaving to work in the office).

I finally completed this painting this morning, December 6.  It's Saturday, but I got up early to work on it.  I really wanted to finish this painting today, so I can start a new one.




Bayanihan
Bayanihan












Summerview

August 12th, 2013

My wife and I are participating in the Summerview 4 Exhibition of Artists Alive and Well, inc.

Please come and enjoy artwork presented by local Houston artists this summer with a fantastic view of our city from the 9th Floor Sky Lobby of The Phoenix Tower. This art exhibition and sale has quickly become one of Houston's premier yearly events. The artists of AAW present original artwork in a wide variety of mediums and genres to fit every taste. Fill up your senses at The Phoenix Tower.

Opening Reception: 29 July 2013, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Closing Reception: 16 August 2013, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Location: 9th Floor, Phoenix Tower, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027

Registration is not required.

http://www.artistsaliveandwell.com
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Washing in the River

July 10th, 2013







finished this painting on the 4th of July 2013. It was a holiday (US Independence Day), so I did not go to work. I spent the whole afternoon, adding finishing touches to this painting, which I started a couple of weeks ago.

This painting shows two beautiful women washing clothes in a river. This scene may be considered typical in remote areas that are far from the cities, where rivers are the only source of water, both for drinking and washing.

This is an acrylic painting on a 24" X 36" canvas.  Prints of this painting are available for sale at 

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cyril-maza.html.

Kite

July 10th, 2013

I finished this painting on July 6, 2013. It was Saturday, the first Saturday after the 4th of July. I really wanted to finish this painting that weekend, because this painting had been sitting unfinished in my studio for quite some time already. I actually started this painting three weeks ago, in one Sunday afternoon. The truth is, I started this painting even before I started the painting "Washing in the River," which I finished last Thursday (4th of July).
.....
This painting shows a boy flying a red kite, while sitting on a huge rock on top of a hill overlooking the crop fields below.
.....
This reminds me of my childhood days. When I was in grade school, I enjoyed flying kites with my friends and siblings. Our school had a wide playground where students loved to play and run around after school. We would even go there during weekends. Sometimes we would bring our kites to school and fly them later after attending our classes. We would spend the rest of the afternoon that way.

Prints of this painting is available for sale at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cyril-maza.html.

Playing Cards

April 27th, 2013

"Three Men and a Lady Playing Cards" is the last painting I finished before the end of the year 2012. At the time, I was also working on another painting, which I continued and finished early in 2013. Just like what the title of this painting says, it portrays three men and a lady, who are busy playing cards.

I painted this based on photographs (not one but several photographs) of real people. The three men are actually one and the same person, myself, and the lady is my wife. Before I started painting this, I asked my wife to take several photographs of me, from different angles and in different positions while I was holding the cards. I also took several pictures of her. Once I got all the photos, I picked the most suitable ones, arranged them, and started sketching the images on a 30" X 48" stretched canvas.

The original painting is a 30" X 48" acrylic painting on canvas.  Prints of this painting are available for purchase in my Zazzle and Fine Art America (FAA) stores.  Please click on the appropriate links in my side bar to visit the websites.  Or, simply click on the image below to open the FAA page.





Photography Prints



Harvest Time and Kids Eating Mangoes

April 24th, 2013

"Harvest Time" is actually a version of another painting called "Kids Eating Mangoes" by Cyril Maza.  It shows a group of teenage kids having fun and eating mangoes, with a farmer and some farm animals around them, depicting a typical farm scene in some rural villages in the Philippines.

A nipa hut is shown standing not so far away from where the kids are. There is also a carabao, a couple of ducks, a rooster, a dog, a couple of pigs, piles of rice straws; as well as trees, mountains, and rice fields, in the background.

The original is a 20" X 30" acrylic painting on canvas, painted by husband and wife, Cyril Maza and Lorna Llanes D. Maza (LLDM). 

To purchase prints and/or greeting cards, simply click on the images below.  They will lead you to their respective pages in the Fine Art America website.







Art Prints






The original "Kids Eating Mangoes" is a 16" X 20" acrylic painting on canvas, and is one of Cyril Maza's first paintings.




Sell Art Online


Banaue

April 7th, 2013

I finished another painting this afternoon, April 7, 2011.  It is an acrylic painting on a 11" X 14" X 5/8" canvas.  

I have named it "Banaue," after the municipality called Banaue (Banawe) in the province of Ifugao in the Philippines. Banaue is widely known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces. 

The Ifugao Rice Terraces (Banaue Rice Terraces or Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banaue) begin at the base of the mountain range and extend several thousand feet upwards. They are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eight Wonder of the World." Accordingly, the total length of the terraces, when put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. 

The rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of Ifugaos, who built them 2,000 years ago. They are irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channeled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.




Photography Prints




Father and Son

April 3rd, 2013

"Father and Son" is the third in my series of parent-and-child paintings.  The first two paintings are "A Moment with Dad" and "Mom and Babe."  This painting features a baby boy, instead of a baby girl, giving it a little bit of distinction from the other two.

All three paintings were made in the first quarter of this year (January to March 2013), and were painted using acrylic paints on canvas.  I finished this one on the 31st of March.

The background of this painting depicts a countryside scene, which is typical of rural villages in the Philippines.  There is a nipa hut in the background, as well as trees, mountains, shrubs, grasses, and tropical flowers.  The father is shown carrying his son in his arms, apparently standing on an elevated portion of the land.  A narrow pathway is shown on the side slope, leading down from where they are, towards the level ground below, where the nipa hut stands.



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The Balloon Vendor

April 3rd, 2013

Seen from the perspective of a small child looking up to an old bearded man, the painting shows a man with outstretched right arm holding out and offering a green balloon to nearby passersby. The man wears a long sleeve shirt and a blue hat to protect himself from the heat of the sun, as he goes walking along the city streets through out the whole day. He would normally hang out in crowded places such as city parks, public markets, and churchyards. Sunday is probably one of his favorite days of the week, for it is on Sundays that he encounters the most number of people; specially with kids going to church with their parents.

I finished this painting on March 31, 2013.


Photography Prints

The Artist

February 20th, 2013

Below is a picture of my first painting for the year 2013.  It is a self-portrait, entitled "The Artist."  It portrays me, Cyril Maza, painting on canvas.  It is an acrylic 24" X 36" portrait painting on canvas.

 







There is something special about this painting, beside being my self-portrait.  You see, I finished it on the 13th day of January, 13 years after the second millineum (2013) or 1/13/13, in my apartment that has a street number of 13131.  Funny, how the numbers are full of one's and three's, isn't it? 

Not only that, I finished this painting after fasting for two days, from Thursday evening (January 10) to Sunday morning (January 13).  I don't know how I did that (fasting), but I guess, I was just too busy painting that I had never even thought about eating within those two days.  I could have continued fasting, but my wife who was in the Philippines for vacation at that time, called me and reminded me to eat.  She got worried, after learning that I had not eaten anything since that Thursday evening.  I will never ever forget those days, for this painting will ever remind me of them.

I have already received several comments on this painting.  One comment came from a friend who said she was wondering how I was able to paint myself here.  She said, I seem to be looking at a mirror while painting this piece. 

I told her, "No.

I was not looking at a mirror while painting this.  I actually got a photograph of myself, taken by my wife (Lorna), painting our own version of Renoir's 'Two Sisters on a Terrace."  I used that picture as my starting point.  I copied that picture, but changed the colors of my shirt (white in the picture) and my pants. I also changed the background, added the table, the glass jar, the paints, and the paint brushes.  And, instead of showing the unfinished version of Renoir's painting, I showed a landscape with clouds, mountain, trees, and a lake."

The painting I was painting in the painting was supposed to look unfinished, hence I had actually refrained myself from adding more details and colors to it.  I was actually tempted to add the reflections of mountains, trees, and clouds on the water; but, I just intentionally refrained myself from doing so.  I said to myself, "save that for your next landscape painting."

Well, yes, I will probably come up with a landscape painting, similar to what I just described above, very soon.  Please watch out for it!

Parent and Child Paintings

February 20th, 2013

I just recently posted three new paintings in my two websites (http://cyril-maza.artistwebsites.com and http://cyril-maza.fineartamerica.com).  They are my first three paintings in 2013.

One of them is "The Artist," which is my first painting in 2013. 

The other two are entitled "Mom and Babe" and "A Moment with Dad."  Both paintings feature a parent and a child, with "A Moment with Dad" portraying a father, and "Mom and Babe" portraying a mother.  I completed the former on the 20th of January and the latter on the 8th of February.  I used acrylic paints on a 22" X 28" stretched canvas for each painting.



Photography PrintsPhotography Prints



Just like what I did when I painted "The Artist", I had used photos of real people to start with when I painted the two pieces.  I found those beautiful black-and-white photos from the Facebook photo albums of my younger brother and my sister-in-law.  Of course, those pictures were black-and-white, so I had to come up with my own colors.  

I chose a black background for the "A Moment with Dad" painting, and a landscape scene with a blue sky, white-bluish/pinkish clouds, and a mixture of red, green and yellow plants for the "Mom and Babe."

I have added halos around the heads of the father and the child in the "A Moment with Dad" painting to make the figures stand out in the dark background.  The lighter yellowish color around their heads made their dark, black hairs more distinct, separating the dark colored hairs from the dark background.


CSM and LLDM Emporium

February 20th, 2013

My wife and I just opened an online store at Zazzle.com. It is called "CSM and LLDM Emporium." Products featuring our art works are already available for sale.

We already have t-shirts, jackets, caps, bags, mugs, stamps, wall clocks, pillows, placemats, plates, and bottles; and are still in the process of adding more products.
Please see our store at Zazzle and keep posted for our new products and promotions. Thank you.

December Holiday Promotions

December 4th, 2012

For the holiday season, we are offering the following discounts and canvas prints at very low promotional prices. Please click on the button below for more information. Thank you very much and have a happy holiday!

Biography of Cyril Maza

December 4th, 2012

1969 - Born in Isabela, Philippines

1975 - Moved to Infanta, Quezon, Philippines

1976 - Started Elementary School

1981 - Family went to Indonesia and lived in Lampung. Studied in Calvert School

1982 - Family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. Studied in Jakarta International School. Took fine arts as elective subject throughout the whole year and learned the basics of drawing, painting, batik making, pottery, calligraphy, candle making, and linoleum printmaking.

1983 - Went back to Infanta, Quezon. Attended Mt. Carmel High School. Became a consistent honor student. Served as a class representative to student government.

1985 - Joined a drawing contest and won second prize during a youth assembly attended by delegates from different youth organizations and schools in Infanta and other surrounding towns. Became CAT-WAS batallion commander.

1986 - Graduated high school with first honorable mention and a special leadership award. Passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) and was admitted to the UP College of Engineering as an entrance scholar.

1987 - Joined the UP Epsilon Chi Fraternity and the UP Kalilayan.

1988 - Was elected to the position of Radian Herald of the UP Epsilon Chi Fraternity.

1992 - Graduated from UP with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering (BSCE).

1993 - Worked in Eigentech Consultancy Services. Passed the civil engineering board exam. Met Lorna.

1995 - Worked in A. de Vera Corporation.

1996 - Got married to Lorna.

1997 - Worked in D. M. Consunji.

2001 - Worked in Fluor Daniel.

2003 - Went to Saudi Arabia to work in Petrocon Arabia Limited.

2005 - Was awarded "Employee of the Year" during the Petrocon/WorleyParsons Ramadan Iftar Dinner Party held on the 30th of October 2005 in Al-Dana Ballroom, Gulf Meridien Hotel in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

2006 - Went to Houston, Texas, in the United States to work with Jacobs Engineering, on the Motiva Crude Expansion Project, under a contract with International Plant Services (IPS).

2008 - Made first painting (self-portrait) on canvas, followed immediately by two more portrait paintings.

2010 - Contract with IPS ended. After a month, got another job with Bayer Technology Services in Baytown, Texas, and resumed working under the payroll of IPS. Moved to Baytown, Texas. Started painting again, with wife Lorna.

2011 - Received green card from USCIS. Passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for civil/structural engineering, and obtained PE license in Texas. Returned to Jacobs Engineering and moved back to Houston, Texas.

2012 - Held first painting exhibit in their apartment in Houston, Texas. Sold several pieces of artworks. Joined Fine Art America.

About Cyril Maza

December 4th, 2012

Cyril Maza is both an engineer and an artist. He is a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) in Texas, and a registered civil engineer in the Philippines.

Although he started painting only in 2008, he has demonstrated his remarkable talent as an artist since childhood. He has a natural passion to build and to create, and is very much fascinated by activities where ingenuity, imagination, and creativity come into play. His childhood hobbies included drawing, playing mandolin, and solving puzzle games. He also liked to play with common household items, such as paper/cardboard boxes, glass/plastic bottles, wooden blocks, and even books. He would lay them all out on the floor forming a pattern that resembles a city, complete with buildings, roads, and parks. He would be so engulfed in his own little “world,” designing and building his own “city,” that you could leave him all alone, playing quietly by himself (or sometimes with his younger brother) for many hours.

His passion for building/creating and his fascination of the physical sciences led him into pursuing a degree in civil engineering. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines in 1992.

Cyril is the kind of worker who puts his mind and heart in whatever he does. As a dedicated engineer, he had his mind and heart focused on his job. His attitude and dedication to work has never been left unnoticed; for in 2005, he was awarded “Employee of the Year” by his employer, Petrocon Arabia Limited, in Saudi Arabia. That award is an undeniable proof of his undying commitment and dedication to his profession as an engineer.

In 2008, despite his normal heavy work load in the office, he managed to come up with his very first painting on canvas ever. For most people, it was just an ordinary day. But for him, that day marked a very important milestone in his new-found career as an artist. It was a day of rediscovery, the day when he rediscovered himself as an artist after many years of doing engineering work. He made a self-portrait, followed by two more portrait paintings. He was so engulfed with what he was doing that he finished all those three paintings within just a week, painting and getting to bed late at night, and then reporting back to work as an engineer the following day. He had never intended to pursue a painting career though, as those three were the only paintings he made that year. He did not do any painting in 2009. His next painting came out in 2010, which is a couple of years later.

When he started to paint again, in 2010, his wife Lorna was so amazed when she saw what he was doing that she started to paint herself. Lorna’s enthusiasm rekindled the artist’s spirit inside him. Painting became their favorite pastime from then on. During weekends, they would get down together and work side by side, both individually and as a team (working on the same canvas).

Cyril and Lorna had no formal art training and had never attended any painting classes, other than their art classes in elementary and high school. They taught themselves how to paint and have developed their own styles and techniques as they continued to paint more and more. Cyril draws inspiration from the works of great Filipino painters such as Fernando Amorsolo, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, and Juan Luna.

Lorna has always been an art enthusiast. She likes collecting seemingly worthless items and turning them into unique works of art. She had collected fruit and vegetable seeds of varying sizes and color. She had them dried and put inside long empty bottles, which she now displays in their living room. She has decorated their apartment with unimaginable and unique art works made from materials such as chocolate wrappers, used stamps, stones, strings, and even crab shells. Lorna started painting with Cyril in 2010, and has also been coming up with her own original art paintings. Interested parties may also view Lorna's paintings at the following URL: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/lorna-maza.html.

Websites for Artists

November 7th, 2012

Websites for Artists

I highly recommend this site for all artists out there who would like to sell their works.